Forging presses are large, powerful machines that use extreme pressure to shape pieces of metal by forcing it between dies. Most forging presses use a hydraulic cylinder to apply a slow and continuous force on the metal. In open die forging, the dies do not fully encase the workpiece, and the metal is squeezed between the dies to flatten or otherwise shape them, often into blocks, bars or sheets. In a closed die forging press, the die is a complete piece, which the metal is forced into, allowing a more complex shape to be forged.

Forging presses work using very large hydraulic cylinders that can produce forces reaching many thousands of tonnes. They are designed and manufactured to be extremely durable, working at high pressures, high temperatures, and are built to last. Apex have recently supplied a replacement forging press rod and associated parts for a UK client, that was in excess of 24 tonnes.

Many of the forging presses in the UK are now decades old; in some cases, up to 100 years old. The heyday of UK steel manufacturing was in the early 1970s. Over recent decades, lots of manufacturing has moved abroad, reducing the number of factories that still forge steel here in the UK.

The decrease in the UK steel forging industry has created an issue for the forges that are still operational. Lots of the original equipment manufacturers are no longer in business. Consequently, forging press engineers find it difficult to find replacement parts. Hydraulic cylinders and associated parts are repaired and repeatedly patched up to try to try to keep them going, but in many cases, after decades of wear and tear, they need replacing. Regular leaks of the hydraulic fluid mean that the cylinder becomes increasingly less effective. Often site engineers try to maintain the cylinders by fabricating an oil catch tank, so that leaked oil can be regularly replaced. However, the reality is that they now need a full repair in order to be efficient. Unfortunately, it is now very difficult to find anywhere in the UK that can offer the repairs and replacements that are required. This leaves forging press managers and engineers with a logistical difficulty.